Priest Kripashankar Tripathi was produced as a prosecution witness in court. The CBI alleged that the Talwars retrieved the ashes and travelled to Haridwar for immersion because they did not want to be around at home at the time of the discovery of Hemraj's body

The priest who conducted the last rites of murdered Noida teenager Aarushi Talwar has told a Ghaziabad court that a day after her cremation on May 16, 2008, her parents and relatives reserved a locker to store her ashes but took the remains away half an hour later.

Priest Kripashankar Tripathi was produced as a prosecution witness in court by the CBI on Wednesday. Aarushi's parents Rajesh and Nupur Talwar are being tried for her murder and of their domestic help Hemraj.

Tripathi told the court that he is a priest at Antim Niwas in Sector-94, Noida, and he conducted Aarushi's last rites at 4 pm on May 16. "The next day, on May 17, family members came and reserved locker number 9 to keep her ashes. They kept the remains in the locker for just half an hour, after which they collected them and left," he told the court.

The CBI alleged that the Talwars retrieved the ashes and travelled to Haridwar for immersion because they did not want to be around at home at the time of the discovery of Hemraj's body ó it was found on the terrace of the house on May 17.

CBI public prosecutor R K Saini said: "We want to prove that the accused got the locker and in a short time decided to leave the place (Noida) on the pretext of immersion of ashes at Haridwar. This was done so that Hemraj's body could be discovered in their absence."

On August 30, former DSP of UP Police K K Gautam had said Dr Sushil Choudhary had called him on May 17 to accompany him to the Talwars' residence to offer condolence.

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